Truss shoe



Juli 26, 1949. G, BARNETT 2,477,363

TRUSS SHOE.

Filed June 6, 1945 IVENTOR Patented July 26, 1949 e UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE muss snoE George F. Barnett, San Francisco, Calif. ApplicationJune s, 1945, Serial No. 597,889

This invention relates to a. metallic member so formed as to provide an eflicient coupling between certain structural elements of the frame of a building or similar structure.

The object of the present invention is generally to improve and simplify the construction and operation of a shoe or coupling member of the character described; to provide a shoe or coupling member whereby the outer end of a roof rafter may be rigidly and securely attached to a ceiling joist with a minimum of skill and labor and in such a manner that no end or outward thrust is transmitted to the side walls of a building; to provide a shoe or coupling member which permits assembly of the rafters and joist on the ground prior to being placed in position; to provide a shoe or coupling member which provides a flush plane between the rafters and the joist for application and nailing of braces; and further, to provide a shoe or coupling member which permits the erection of a low-pitched roof with perfect safety and makes faulty nailing impossible.

The truss shoe or coupling member is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the same; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the roof and side wall structure of a building showing the application of the shoe or coupling member.

The shoe or coupling member is best shown in Fig. 1. It consists of a pair of side plates 2-2 connected by an end thrust plate 3 and a saddle plate 4. The side plates are spaced apart, for instance two inches, to permit them to straddle a two by six inch joist such as shown at A in Fig. 2, and to receive between them a rafter B of equal thickness.

The shoe or coupling may be described as consisting of a lower portion a, to wit that portion which straddles the joist, and an upper portion 17 which receives and secures the lower end of the rafters. The lower portion of the plates is provided with one hole to receive a bolt 5 and with holes 6 to receive nails. The upper portion is similarly provided with holes I to receive nails which secure the rafters. The end thrust plate 3 is provided with a right angular bent portion 8 which forms a second saddle and cooperates with the saddle plate 4 to properly position and secure the shoe as a whole to the joist.

In actual operation the joists A may be placed one by one on the plate C which is supported 2 Claims. (01. za -94) by the side wall or studding D of a building. The shoes may 'tl en'be applied and securedto opposite ends of the joist by' bolts or nailing, and thereafter the rafters may be placed in position and secured by nailing to the joists, or the shoes and rafters may all be assembled on the ground and then hoisted up and placed in position on the plates (.1. Whether erected in one way or another, no outward thrust will be imparted to the side walls of the building as the thrust of the rafters is altogether against the end plates 3 and is transmitted to the joists only as the shoes are secured to the joists therefore making it possible to erect the lowest pitched roof with perfect safety.

By employing a truss shoe such as here shown, the strength and rigidity of the roof portion of a building is obviously materially improved and as the rafters rest directly on top of the joist and are disposed in alignment therewith, a flush plane for the application and nailing of braces such as shown at I'll is provided. Pre-arranged nail holes make faulty nailing impossible and comparatively short nails may be used. Minimum size of lumber may be employed. No skilled labor is required and labor cost is furthermore reduced as the work is more quickly and readily accomplished and as heretofore stated the major portion of the work can be done on the ground.

The shoe as a whole may be constructed in any suitable manner, for instance of sheet steel formed from two or more parts which are welded together and the whole galvanized, if desired, and while this and other features of the invention have been more or less specifically described and illustrated, it should be understood that changes may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims and that the materials and finish of the several parts employed may be such as the experience or judgment of the manufacturer may dictate or varying conditions or uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A truss shoe for use with a joist and a rafter having an end face and a bottom face resting on said joist comprising a pair of parallel, spaced apart, elongated side plates of L shape and having vertical and horizontal portions and of sufficient extent to overlie parts of the side faces of said joist and said rafter; a horizontal saddle plate connecting upper edges of the horizontal portion of the side plates and extending therebetween to overlie the upper face of the joist; a second horizontal saddle plate connecting the side plates at the other end thereof and extending therebetween to overlie the upper face of the joist and coplanar with the first mentioned saddle plate; a vertically disposed plate adjacent and above the second saddle plate and extending between and connecting the side plates to function as an abutment for the end face of the rafter.

2. A truss shoe for use with a joist and a rafter having an end face and a bottom face resting on said joist cemprisinga pair of parallei, spaced apart, elongated side plates of L shape and having vertical and horizontal portions and of sufficient extent to overlie parts of the side faces of said joist and said rafter; a horizontal saddle plate connecting upper edges of the horizontal portion of the side plates and extending therebetween to overlie the upper face'of the joist; a

second horizontal saddle plate connecting the side plates at the other end thereof and extending therebetween to overlie the upper face of thejoist and coplanar with the first mentioned saddle plate; a vertically disposed plate adjacent and above the second saddle plate and extending between and connecting the side plates to function as an abutment for the end face of the rafter; and perforations formed in the side plates to permit nailing the side plates to the joist and to the rafter.

GEORGE F. BARNETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 553,903 Duvinage Feb. 4, 1896 1,036,439 Brown Aug. 20, 1912 1,369,837 Price Mar l, 1921 1,632,072 Herrick et al June 14, 192'? 2,037,736 Payne et al. Apr. 21, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 317,871 Germany 1919 

